1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to cosmetic compositions whose major component is petroleum jelly incorporating .alpha.-hydroxy carboxylic acids and salts thereof.
2. The Related Art
Petroleum jelly is one of the oldest skin treatment products still in commerce today. For over 100 years, the Chesebrough Company and its successors have sold the substance under the brand, Vaseline.RTM.. There is good reason for the longevity of this product. Its occlusive and healing properties render this product especially efficacious against dry and damaged skin.
Within recent years, .alpha.-hydroxy carboxylic acids have gained prominence as one of the truly effective skin actives. Reports of these materials are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,572, U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,599, U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,782 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,783 listing Yu and Van Scott as inventors. Other properties of these substances include their action against age spots, wrinkles and other signs of aging. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,171 (Yu et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,234 (Alderson et al.).
Delivery of .alpha.-hydroxy carboxylic acids in a vehicle such as petroleum jelly appears to present potential for even higher levels of effectiveness than previously found with aqueous cream and lotion vehicles. .alpha.-Hydroxy carboxylic acids and their salts are unfortunately not readily soluble or dispersible in petroleum jelly. Systems are required which can aid dispersion of these hydrophilic substances into petroleum jelly.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide cosmetic compositions having .alpha.-hydroxy carboxylic acids or salts thereof uniformly dispersed or solubilized within petroleum jelly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide cosmetic compositions with skin healing, moisturizing, anti-aging, anti-wrinkling, skin lightening and other improved functional activities.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from consideration of the following summary and detailed description.